A variety of devices are known in the prior art for performing anastomosis of luminal structures in the human body. The following disclosures are typical. U.S. Pat. No. 3,254,650 discloses a pair of tubes having ring-shaped flanges at one end thereof which are disposed around each end of the tubular organ to be anastomosed and are secured together by a retaining ring (see FIG. 5 thereof) that clamps over the flanges. The tissue can also be everted over the inner face of each of the annular flanges so that the two flanges are secured together by a plurality of pins which pierce the everted tissue and are secured in apertures disposed in the opposing flange member (see particularly FIGS. 20 and 21).
U.S. Pat. No. 4,523,592 discloses a pair of coupling disc members which cooperate to couple tubular structures of the body, such as bile ducts and blood vessels. One of the members has spaced apart hook members and the other member has receptive cavities aligned with the hook members for locking the members together in a anastomosis procedure with tissue everted and secured on the hook members.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,233,981 discloses a pair of annular flanges each formed of a plastic material for closing severed body vessels. Pointed pins on one of the flanges are pierced through the vessel walls and inserted into apertures in the other flange to hold and locate the vessel walls. Threaded nuts are threaded onto threaded pins to clamp the vessel walls together with a clamping pressure. The reference discloses that the inside diameter of the rings may be as small as four millimeters. The device is designed in such a way that the pressure exerted by the flange portions (rings) may be selected so that the connection is sufficiently tight to prevent leakage while at the same time connection may be loosened or released so as to prevent the vascular wall from becoming necrotic.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,155,095 discloses an absorbable anastomosis assembly comprising a hollow cylinder which is inserted into each end of a pair of vascular vessels to be anastomosed such that the ends of the vessels are in an abutting relation. An external cylindrical sleeve fits over the outer surface of the positioned vessels to be anastomosed and is clamped over the abutting end portions of the vascular vessels. The hollow cylinder and the sleeve are made of an absorbable material, such as reconstituted collagen or oxidized cellulose, so that the material is absorbed by the body slowly over time until epithelization occurs.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,294,255 discloses a pair of ring shaped members which are disposed interluminally in the tubular organ to be anastomosed. The confronting faces of the device have an annular, sharpened rim located at a radially innermost position. Tissue from the organ to be anastomosed is positioned between the confronting faces of the rings and the rings are secured by tooth pins that are retained in openings in the ring to securely clamp the rings and the intervening tissue together.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,453,056 discloses an anastomosis apparatus in which a tube having a flange at one end thereof and grooves in the outer surface of the tube, is placed over one of the tubular organs to be anastomosed. The tissue of the tubular organ is then everted over the outer surface of the tube and the other end of the tubular structure organ to be anastomosed is pulled over the everted surface of the first tubular organ. A pair of rings are slid over the two ends of the tubular organ to be anastomosed and are held in position by the grooves in the outer surface of the anastomosis tube. In this manner the intima of the tubular organs to be anastomosed are positioned facing each other. The reference also discloses an anastomosis device comprising a tube having a flange disposed at one end thereof which is slid over one end of the tubular organ to be anastomosed and the tissue of the end is everted over the outer surface of the tube. A ring shaped spring clamp is slid over the other end of the tubular organ to be anastomosed and the other end is positioned over the everted tissue held in position by the outer surface of the tube such that the ring shaped spring clamp clamps over the tube with the two tubular organs sandwiched therebetween.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,693,249 discloses a ring shaped anastomosis device having outer surface protrusions for impaling a pair of living vessel ends thereon without any sutures. A first vessel end is inserted through a central opening of the device, everted around the end of the device and impaled on the protrusion; then a second end vessel is drawn over the everted first vessel and similarly impaled on the protrusions.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,624,255 discloses a suturing ring which is structured for suturing the blood vessel portions thereto under radial stress with the intima of the blood vessel portions apposed. U.S. Pat. No. 4,705,039 discloses a subsidiary device for suturing an intestine. The tubes are disposed in the interior lumina of the intestine to be anastomosed such that the male tube is adapted to fit into a female tube which are then secured together by a pin. U.S. Pat. No. 4,728,328 discloses a cuff tubular organic prosthesis.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,705,039 discloses a subsidiary device for suturing an intestine. The tubes are disposed in the interior lumina of the intestine to be anastomosed such that the male tube is adapted to fit into a female tube which are then secured together by a pin.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,728,328 discloses a cuff tubular organic prosthesis.
A typical problem with prior art anastomosis devices is that they have no ready means for keeping the forces to which the tubular organs are subjected within controlled limits, causing interruption of the blood supply, among other things, with the result that their tissue may experience only slow healing or even necrosis.